10 Important Tips To Maintain Your Motor Vehicle During This COVID-19 Lockdown


COVID-19 has bought the world to a standstill with transportation coming to a complete halt around the globe. Your motor vehicle too would be idling in your garage, having not seen the light of the day for quite a while. When you leave your vehicle unattended for prolonged periods of time, it can cause various problems to it. Once when this pandemic is over, you might find it difficult to kick-start your vehicle back to life. Here are 10 tips to keep your motor vehicle in working condition during the COVID-19 lockdown.

1. Maintain a full tank

Keep your vehicle in full tank if you will not be using it for a long. Otherwise, condensation can form on the air above the fuel. This can have drastic effects on your vehicle and could even lead to rusting.

2. Disconnect car’s battery

Unless you are not running any errands, it is best to keep your battery disconnected from the vehicle. If you keep your battery connected without running the vehicle, it will get discharged quickly. You will not be able to start the vehicle automatically once this happens.

3. Renew your car insurance policy

Even though you are not using your car, ensure you have a valid car insurance policy. If it has expired, make sure you renew it on time. Otherwise, you stand to lose your NCB bonus. If there is a break in your policy period, the next time you renew your policy, the policyholders can charge you a higher premium.

4. Keep your tyres inflated

Your car tyres must always be kept under proper pressure. If they get deflated, it can cause cracking in the sidewalls of the tyres. Also, try moving your vehicle forward and backwards to avoid the formation of flat spots.

5. Keep your vehicle clean

If you are leaving your car outside, make sure you cover them with a car cover. If it is parked in a garage, take time to wash the car once in a while. Otherwise, dust and dirt can lead to damage in the paint. The inside of the car must also be properly cleaned to avoid pests and rodents.

6. Don’t leave the car on the parking brake

Doing so will cause the brake pads to stick together with the rotor. Especially if you live in a rainy area, the chances will be high. This can destroy your parking brake. Consider using huge stones to prevent your car from moving.

7. Change the engine oil 

Used engine oil, when left in the car for a prolonged period can damage the mechanical components over time. Start your car occasionally to circulate the oil around the engine.

8. Block exhausts

Rodents and bugs can get in through the exhaust pipes. Block these with blockades and remember to remove them when you start the car.

9. Keep wipers off the screen

Do not leave wipers stuck to your car even if you clean the car regularly. Otherwise, it can leave marks on your windshield. You can put a wrapper under the wiper to prevent this.

10. Insurance policy for commercial car owners

It becomes all the more important for commercial vehicle owners like taxis and rickshaws to renew their commercial vehicle insurance online. This is because due to your vehicle being inactive for a long period of time, you cannot predict what internal problems it might have caused in your vehicle. Once when you get back to work these underlying problems can backfire and can cause accidents.

